Our AIM

Public Space for Public Use

COLLECTIVE DOMAIN is a grassroots initiative undertaking research on the erosion of public space by various actors (state, private companies and residents) in Tbilisi, Georgia. Following both Soviet independence and the mass privatization of state assets that succeeded the country’s 2003 revolutionary change in government, public space in Tbilisi has faced multiple threats on many fronts. Primarily, the city is struggling with: state privatization, under-regulated new construction, preferential treatment of private enterprise for urban development projects, and the rapid increase in privately-owned vehicles parking in public spaces.

To-date, there has been no national assessment of this erosion of public space, nor government intervention toward its protection. Many ordinary citizens have therefore felt it necessary to ‘guard’ adjacent public areas through their own gates, barriers and DIY practices. These actions, too, have exacerbated issues of collective space access.

Collective Domain is focused on documenting, analyzing, and addressing the erosion of public space in Tbilisi by providing first-hand data, as well as disseminating existing research and information. The content produced by Collective Domain aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of the problem at-hand, highlighting the range of issues public space is currently facing. Beyond project-specific work, Collective Domain aims to foster dialogue between like-minded grass-roots groups, government officials, and community members, producing new research and collaboration relationships.